A Fighter Pilot, Political Science Prof and Author with Opinions and a Weird Streak

Monday, March 21, 2011

You'll Get No Argument Here

Do we Americans have a clue? Is our educational system preparing young adults for life in the world? Do we know the why and the wherefore of policy choices? Can your teen-ager explain why something costs what it does?

Oh, "tumbleweeds"? That is a fighter pilot codeword for an individual with no tally (he doesn't see the enemy), no visual (he doesn't see his leader),and no clue (he's got no idea what the situation is.)

America is tumbleweeds. Our citizens are only qualified for snacko duty.

4 comments:

Oldspad
said...

Sadly, our form of education deems all kids college material. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I lived in Germany for several years. The Germans separate the kids about middle school age. Some go the academic route then college, the others are candidates for technical school.

We have great needs for mechanics, body shop mechanics, heat and air conditioning techs, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, tile setters, truck drivers, cooks, wait staff, clerks and such, but the college prep route leaves these occupations vacant. Schools at one time offered shop, home Economics, metal shop and such, but no more.

Unfortunately the left believes every precious child deserves to go to college...mostly because they dont think one should have to EARN anything, never mind the fact that not everyone is suited for college and white collar work. But they cannot bear the idea that little Johnny might be slated for a Technical school and not have the opportunity to drop out of college. :P And when their grand plans fail...instead of correcting they just drop the standards. *sigh*

It's a good thing we probably all understand what you meant by saying "You'll get no argument here": Americans are generally clueless about government.

However, I've got plenty of disagreement with Newsweek's sneaky leftist proclamations in that piece.

I don't feel 'saddled with a nonproportional Senate', nor with 'near-constant elections for every imaginable office (judge, sheriff, school-board member, and so on)' - though a conflicting 'tangle of state, local, and federal bureaucracies ' is a troublesome problem stemming from unelected and appointed commissars building empires.

I totally reject the idea that income inequality 'makes for lack of educational opportunities' - or that 'our reliance on market-driven programming rather than public broadcasting' is a drawback. Instead, it is a profound advantage against central propaganda planning.

I could go on - but in truth, the only fact (as opposed to biased opinion) in that entire piece is that Americans don't know beans about anyone's government.

As long as almost all the media, the education system, and a certain political party maintain a vested interest in keeping people ignorant, the situation isn't likely to change short of catastrophe, I'm afraid.

ThunderTales

About Me

Twenty-three years flying fast jets for the USAF, ten years doing computer software reviews for ZDNet, two books on my combat experiences plus the memoirs of Robin Olds, and a load of good memories about years in Europe, Asia and the US.